Leonard Digges 
Leonard was born about 1520 in Digge’s Court, Barham, Kent, England. Leonard's father was James Digges and his mother was Philippa Engham. His paternal grandparents were John Digges and Joan Clifton; his maternal grandfather was John Engham. He was an only child. He died about 1559 in England.General Notes
Leonard Digges (1520 - 1559), father of Thomas Digges was a well-known mathematician and surveyor, credited to the invention of the theodolite and a great populariser of science through his publications in English. In a way his son, Thomas Digges followed in his footsteps and was a pivotal player in the popularisation of Copernicus book De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium.
The first publication of many by Leonard Digges was "A General Prognostication" published in 1553, which became a best-seller as it contained a perpetual calendar, collections of weather lore and a wealth of astronomical material, until then largely only obtainable through books published in Latin or Greek.
Leonard Digges is also credited with independently invented the reflecting, and probably the refracting telescope as part of his need to see accurately over long distances during his surveying works.
In 1554, Leonard Digges took part in an unsuccessful rebellion led by the Protestant Sir Thomas Wyatt against England's new Catholic Queen Mary who took over the throne in 1553 from her father Henry VIII. Digges was condemned to death, but escaped capital punishment, instead forfeiting all his estates.
Digges was born prior to 1530-1, when he was listed in a visitation of Kent. He was admitted to Lincoln's Inn in 1537.
James Digges of Digges Court, Barnham, Kent, was from an ancient family of Kent.
Clearly wealthy.
Education:
May have attended a University, but no real evidence and certainly no proof. Biographia Britannica says University College, Oxford, and Wood says he was at Oxford but the college is not known. It seems fairly certain that he took no degree if indeed he did attend a university.
Religous affiliation: Anglican
Leonard Digges participated in Wyatt's rebellion against Mary. From what little I know of it, the rebellion was as much against Spanish interference as against Catholicism, and I have found no statement whatever about Digges' motivation.
Scientific Disciplines:
Primary: Mathematics Secondary: Astronomy Subordinate: It Is Difficult To Establish Digges's Scientific Productions precisely because it was mostly published by his son, Thomas Digges, with his own work mixed in. However, Tectonicon, 1556, a surveying manual emphasizing practical mathematics, was all his. Thomas Digges published Pantometria (surveying and cartography), 1571, and Stratioticos (military engineering), 1579, both as essentially his father's work.
In Pantometria, Thomas Digges described his father's skill in optics.
Digges' Prognostication, first published in 1553, apparently to earn money after his estate was attainted for treason, and then reprinted frequently until 1605, was an almanac with, among other things, astronomical information, for example on how to determine the hour at night from the stars, and information about instruments for observation.
Means of Support Primary: Personal Means Secondary: Publishing
Inherited wealth from his ancient and considerable family, enough to give him ample means and leisure. He was attainted for treason as a result of Wyatt's rebellion, lost his estate, and in the last years of his life apparently tried to support himself partly through publication.
Patronage type: Aristrocrat
Digges dedicated Prognostication of Right Good Effect, 1555, to Lord Clinton, later the Earl of Lincoln, who apparently saved Digges from execution for his participation in Wyatt's revellion under Mary.
Technological Involvement
Types: Cartography, Navigation, Military Engineering, Instruments, Architecture
Applied mathematics to surveying, navigation and gunnery. He was known as an architect and as a master of fortification. He invented the instrument now called the theodolite.
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Ancestor Pedigree Chart
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*There are earlier generations for the ancestor(s) indicated. See their page(s) for details (click name)
- b. in Digge’s Court, Barham, Kent, England
- b. in Digge’s Court, Barham, Kent, England
- b.~ 1362 in Kent, England
- b.~ 1415 in Digge’s Court, Barham, Kent, England
- b.~ 1445 in Digge’s Court, Barham, Kent, England d.29 Dec 1502
- b.06 Dec 1353 in Tichfield, Hampshire, England d.12 Aug 1400
- b.<14 Sep 1386 in South Ockendon, Essex, England d.08 Nov 1466
- b.14 Jul 1362 d.14 Dec 1403
- b. in Carlton Paynell, Irby-on-Humber, and Killingholme, Leicestershire, England
- b. in Carlton Paynell, Irby-on-Humber, and Killingholme, Leicestershire, England d.20 May 1471
- b.~ 1473 in Digge’s Court, Barham, Kent, England d.~ 1536
- b. in Clifton, Nottinghamshire, England d.21 Jul 1403 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
- b.~ 1396 in Hodsock and Clifton, Nottinghamshire, England d.15 Nov 1453
- b.~ 1373 in Hodsock, Nottinghamshire; and High Melton, Yorkshire, England d.< 1420
- b.~ 1405 in Clifton, Nottinghamshire, and London, England d.06 May 1471 in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England
- b. in Foremark, Derbyshire, England d.< 1428
- b. in Foremark, Derbyshire, England d.13 Jun 1457
- b. in Netherfield, Sussex, England
- b. in Netherfield, Sussex, England d.~Nov 1457
- b. in Cralle, Warblington, Sussex, England
- b. in Cralle, Warblington, Sussex, England
- b.~ 1520 in Digge’s Court, Barham, Kent, England d.~ 1559 in England
- b. in Chart, Kent, England
- b. in Chart, Kent, England
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Individual Additional Information
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Associated external link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_digges
Details of Leonard's family with Bridget Wilsford
Sources/Citations
Dictionary of National Biography, London; Oxford University Press, 1949-1950, Biographia Britannica, 2nd ed., London, 1778-93, Mathematical proctioners of Tudor and Stuart England, by E.G.R. Taylor, Cambridge, 1954, Leonard and Thomas Digges, Biographical Notes, by Louise Diehl Patterson, Isis, 42 (1951)
Dictionary of National Biography, London; Oxford University Press, 1949-1950, Biographia Britannica, 2nd ed., London, 1778-93, Mathematical proctioners of Tudor and Stuart England, by E.G.R. Taylor, Cambridge, 1954, Leonard and Thomas Digges, Biographical Notes, by Louise Diehl Patterson, Isis, 42 (1951)